Machine for cleaning fabrics



P. M. RUTHERFORD 1,896,424

MACHINE FOR CLEANING FABRICS Filed Oct. 29, 1951 ZSheets-Sheet 1 gwu /wto n @Hiommgl.

1933- P. M. RUTHERFORD 1,895,424

MACHINE FOR CLEANING FABRICS Filed Oct. 29, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 1 8 w 20 7% .J. /a

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awe/whom I Fatented Feb. 7. 1933 UNITED STATES PHILLIP M. RUTHERFORD, OF TACKSQNVILLE, TEXAS MACHINE FOR CLEANING FABRICS Application filed October 29, 1931. Serial No. 571,924.

This invention aims to provide a machine for washing fabrics, which will beunusually effective, capable of withstanding hard use, and of such construction that it can be made cheaply. The invention aims to strengthen the general frame work of the machine, to provide novel means for mounting and operating the splashers, and, generally, to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

WVith the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement. of parts and'in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it: being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

.In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows, in vertical section, a de-' vice constructed in accordance with the invention,.most parts being in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a top plan;.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3- 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section-on the line 44 of F i ure 1;

39 Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View showing the mounting of the lever;

Figure 6 is an elevation showing the upper end'of the post and attendant parts.

The device forming thesubject matter of this application may be applied to a tub 1 of any desired shape. It comprises a vertical post 2, attached by securing elements 3 to the tub 1. At its upper end, the post 2 has an upwardly extended stop 4.

The machine comprises a frame, which, as a whole, ismarked by the numeral F. The frame F embodies an inverted U-shaped end piece 6 which, like the other portions of the frame, preferably is made of metal. The end piece 6 straddles the upper end of. the

post 2, and rests against the stop 4. The

lower ends of the side arms of the end piece 6 are connected by a pivot element 7 to the post 2, the construction being such that the end piece can swing, in a vertical plane, into and out of engagement with the stop 4. The base of the frame F is made up of parallel horizontal bars 8, secured to the end piece 6 by rivets 9 or the like. At their inner ends, the bars 8 of the frame F have upwardly extended vertical arms 10, terminating'in horizontal fingers 11.

The top of the frame is made up of bars 12, which, intermediate their ends, are extended upwardly as at 14 in Figure 1, to form a strengthening arch, the parts 14 of the bars 12 being brought inwardly, into contact with each other, as shown at 15 in Figure 2, the said contacting parts being connected together by a securing element 16- shown in Figure 1. The construction'just alluded to enhances greatly the strength of the frame F. The bars 12 are spread apart 7 at their ends, to form an outer fork 17 and to form an inner fork 19. The outer fork 17 spans the end piece and is connected thereto by-securing elements 18. The numeral 20 marks a U-shaped bearing block, having its lower end disposed between the lower bars 8 of the frame F and connected :5 thereto by securing members 22. Thebearing block 20 is received in the inner fork 19 of the top of the frame F, andis connected thereto by securing elements 21.

The lower bars 8 of the frame F are connected by an anchor 23, carrying the lower end of a pull spring 24, and the upper end of this spring is connected to the upper end of the post 2, the spring 24 passing upwarcL ly, at an incline, through the outer fork 17 8 of the top member of the frame F. It may now be observed that because the top por;

tion of the frame is upwardly arched, as at 14, the point of connection 25 between the rear endof the spring 24 and the post 2n1ay 9.9

be located higher up than would be possible otherwise, the spring 24, therefore, being made the more efiicient as a means for swinging the inner end of the frame F upwardly.

A shaft 26 is vertically arranged in the tub 1, and is disposed at right angles to the length of the frame F. The shaft 26 is mounted for rocking movement in the hearing block 20, and extends across the space between the horizontal, inwardly projecting arms of the bearing block 20. ()n the shaft 26, between the said arms of the bearing block, is secured a gear wheel 27, having an elongated hub 28, which, cooperating with the arms of the bearing block, holds the shaft 26 against longitudinal movement.

Figure 5 of the drawings shows that bearing blocks 29, located one above the other, are held by securing devices 30 between the arms 10 of the frame bars 8. A substantially horizontal lever 31 extends between the hearing blocks 29, and is fulcrumed therein for horizontal swinging movement, as indicated at 32. On the inner end of the lever 31 there is secured a segment 33 which meshes with the gear wheel 27, the lever 31 passing between the arms 10 of the bars 8. The lever 31 is held for horizontal swinging movement in a box-like guide 34 which is held between the fingers 11 by securing devices 35. On the inside of the guide 34:, are secured spring tongues 36 which bear against opposite sides of the lever 31, as shown in Figure 4.

An arch 37 is secured to the lower end of the shaft 26 and operates within the tub 1. On the ends of the arch 37 there are splashers 39 which, as shown in Figure 2, are crescent shaped, the splashers being hollow or cuplike. A cup-like oval splasher 38 is secured to the lower end of the shaft 26. and is located between the splashers 39. Although the splasher construction shown and described is preferable, it will be'understood that an operator or manufacturer can change the splasher construction, if he wishes, without impairing the utility of the operating means and parts associated therewith.

In practical operation, the frame F is swung downwardly until the top of the U- shaped end piece 6 engages the stop 4 on the post 2, and, thus, the splashers 39 and 38 are held out of contact with the bottom of the tub 1. The operator swings the lever 31 back and forth, horizontally, and the segment 33 on the inner end of the lever, meshing with the gear wheel 27 on the shaft 26, imparts oscillatory rotary movement to the shaft and the splashers 38 and 39, the fabric in the tub 1 being swished back and forth. Not only can the splashers 38 and 39 have an oscillatory rotary movement, but they may be given an up and down movement as well. This is so because the frame F considered as a whole, is pivoted at 7 to the post 2, for up and down swinging movement.

The function of the spring 24. is to aid in the raising of the frame F. The springs 36 of Figure A tend to bring the lever 31 back to a central position with respect to the guide 34:, so that the lever 31 and the frame F are lined up, as disclosed in Figure 2, it being in this position that the lever 31 and the frame F canbe most conveniently swung up and down, with the pivot element 7 as a point of swinging movement.

The device described is simple in construction, well adapted to Withstand hard use, and thoroughly eflicient for the purpose for which it is intended.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is I 1. A washing machine, comprising a support including a post, a U-shaped end member constituting part of a frame, the U- shaped end member being inverted over the top of the post, means for pivotally connecting the lower part of the U-shaped end member with the post, so that the frame can swing vertically, a shaft mounted to rock in the frame, and disposed in a substantially vertical position, a splasher carried by the shaft, a gear on the shaft, a lever moimted on the frame to swing horizontally, a segment on the-lever and engaging the gear, and a stop on the post, the stop engaging the U- shaped end member to limit the downward movement of the frame, and to space the splasher from the bottom of the tub wherein the splasher works.

2. In a device of therclass described, a frame comprising anend member, bottom bars connected to the end member, top bars extended upwardly to form an arch, the arched portions of the top bars being brought into contact, the ends of the-top bars being spread apart to form an inner fork and an outer fo'rk,'the outer fork straddling the end member and being secured thereto, a substantially vertical U-shaped bearing block including upper and lower arms,lthe lower arm of the bearing block being held between the lower bars, and the upper arm of the bearing block being held within the inner fork, a post whereunto the end member is pivoted for vertical swinging movement, a pull spring connected at its ends to the lower bars and to the post, and extended upwardly at an incline through'the outer fork, a shaft journalled for rotation in the arms of the bearin block and disposed in a substantially vertica position, a splasher carried by the shaft, and means on the frame and under the control of an operator for imparting rotary movement to the shaft.

3. A washing machine constructed asset forth in claim 2, and further characterized by the fact that the means for imparting rotary movement to the shaft comprises a lever, and intermeshing gear members on the shaft and on the lever, the lower barsof the means for mounting the guide on the fingers,

and oppositely acting compression springs mounted in the guide and engaging opposite sides of the lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

PHILLIP M. RUTHERFORD. 

